Andrii Kulykov

Andriy Viktorovych Kulykov (born 1957) is a Ukrainian journalist, editor, television and radio presenter, actor, media expert, and media editor. He is widely known in Ukraine as the former host of Freedom of Speech (ICTV), a popular political talk show broadcast on ICTV, but he also been involved with the BBC, Hromadske Radio, and other news media publications and broadcasters. Kulykov is also a professional English-Ukrainian language Translator-referent. He has been involved in the journalistic effort to explain the Russian invasion of Ukraine to English-speaking audiences. On March 1, 2022, Kulykov was broadcasting live from his apartment when the Russian military bombed the Kyiv radio transmission tower. Kulykov also demanded the release of captured Ukrainian journalist Maksym Butkevych, publicly pleading the case for his safe return to Ukraine.

Kulykov is currently the chair of the board of Hromadske Radio and leads Ukraine’s , a professional self-regulatory body. He lectures regularly at higher education institutions across Ukraine, and is part of the academic staff at Mariupol State University in Donetsk Region. He holds academic credentials in international relations and works as a consulting translator. He also guest lectures at various Ukrainian and international universities including Harvard, Columbia, Oxford, Toronto, and others.

Early life Andriy Kulykov was born into a media-involved family; his grandmother, Nina Savytska, was a well-known announcer for Ukrainian Radio and played a significant role in introducing him to the world of broadcasting. His grandmother was also heavily involved in Ukrainian radio theatre productions. Although he was born into a Russian language household, his grandmother regularly provided him with Ukrainian-language literature, including works translated by Olha Senyuk and writings by Vsevolod Nestayko. Through reading and contact with his grandmother’s professional circle, Kulikov became fluent in Ukrainian.

During his adolescence, although he initially failed a voice audition in a radio studio, he developed a strong interest in radio programs, especially those in various languages including Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Polish. His early fascination with music and language led him to explore cultural and linguistic nuances through international radio broadcasts.

BBC Ukrainian Service In 1991, following the Dissolution of the Soviet Union, the BBC World Service launched a Ukrainian-language department. To prepare for this, it organized a seminar for about 30 Ukrainian journalists who were proficient in English. Six months later, those participants were invited to compete for newly available roles at the BBC Ukrainian Service. Andriy Kulykov was one of the successful applicants. According to Kulykov, the first four Ukrainians to join the service were Oleksiy Sologubenko, Kira Fomenko, Natalia Skofenko, and himself. Sologubenko quickly advanced, eventually holding leadership roles across various sections of the BBC World Service. Kulykov spent four years in London, from 1991 to 1995, initially working as a producer and later as a senior producer. "Some people on this stage are painted in blue, red, and green. Orange is missing. When orange disappears, there is no crimson. This should be a warning to all of us. We should not allow our colors to disappear. We must not allow our languages to disappear from our television, we must not allow colleagues to disappear from our community.But we know how things are arranged: we’re not allowed to show certain colors. We’re not allowed to show certain ideas on our television screens. We’re not allowed to show our solidarity with colleagues. On our show, people of different colors and views work together — and that’s the point. People with different political beliefs — and maybe even some poets — speak their minds freely."

From late 2015 to early 2016, A Word to Kulykov aired on Radio Vesti.

Political career In the late 1980s, Kulykov played a role in the establishment of the Rukh (People’s Movement of Ukraine), particularly within Kyiv and other regions of the country. And in 1990, labor collectives nominated him as a People's Deputy of the Ukrainian SSR. But later, Andriy decided that he did not want to be a people's deputy.

Career as translator-referent In addition to his media work, Kulykov has translated various literary and academic works, including an art history monograph by Olga Petrova, and has published under the pen names Andron Dovhotelesy and Andrei Savitsky.

In the late 1980s, Kulykov was involved in the foundation of the Ukrainian Language Society.

He contributed translations for the Ukrainian-language rock album 70/80: Classic Rock in Ukrainian Style by the Kyiv band , including a Ukrainian cover of Slade's song “Coz I Love You.” His work spans journalism, translation, education, and media advocacy, with a longstanding commitment to public broadcasting and cultural expression in Ukraine.